Anchorage for conveyor guiding longwall planer and method

ABSTRACT

The sections of a segmented guide beam for mining machinery are removably secured to the floor of a mine working by bolts which are resin bonded in drilled holes in the floor.

United States Patent [191 Wilson et al.

[ Aug. 20, 1974 ANCHORAGE FOR CONVEYOR GUIDING LONGWALL PLANER AND METHOD Inventors: James Wilson, Sedgefield; James Nelson, Shiney Row; Douglas Shield, Belmont, all of England Assignee: Underground Mining Machinery Limited, Darlington, England Filed: Dec. 19, 1972 Appl. No.: 316,644

Foreign Application Priority Data Dec. 21, 1971 Great Britain 59327/71 US. Cl. 299/18, 61/45 B, 299/32 Int. Cl. E21c 29/08 Field of Search 299/10, 18, 31, 34, 32, 299/4348; 173/32, 33; 238/373, 378; 61/45 B [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,244,055 4/1966 Schuermann et a1. 61/45 B 3,504,944 4/1970 Holz et a1. 299/43 X 3,731,976 5/1973 Granskog, 299/18 3,753,354 8/1973 Bauer 61/45 B FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 976,949 9/1964 Germany 299/34 Primary ExaminerErnest R. Purser Attorney, Agent, or FirmSughrue, Rothwell, Mion, Zinn & Macpeak [5 7 ABSTRACT The sections of a segmented guide beam for mining machinery are removably secured to the floor of a mine working by bolts which are resin bonded in drilled holes in the floor.

15 Claims, 8 Drawing Figures PATENIEWBZOI974 3.830.544

SHEETIUFS Fig/L R 1 1O 5 I F c Fig.3.

PATEmiuaunzmw SHEET 30F 5 ANCHORAGE FOR CONVEYOR GUIDING LONGWALL PLANER AND METHOD BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to mining and more particularly to the anchoring of a conveyor drive frame.

Conventionally, the face conveyor drive frame which may also incorporate the drive system for a coal plough, is held in place by a chock type anchorage.

This conventional anchorage is, however, unsuitable in certain circumstances particularly where poor roof conditions make it impossible to set secure staking chocks or where the large plan area of the conventional anchorage precludes the setting of additional roadway supports when they are made necessary by deteriorating roadway conditions.

These disadvantages are avoided in accordance with the invention by an anchorage which comprises a guide and anchor beam for a part of the conveyor drive frame, or a part connected to the drive frame, the beam being held in place by bolts or other like elongate elements extending into the floor. Preferably the bolts extend at an angle to the horizontal, being advantageously directed away from the conveyor at an angle between 30 and 45, so as to ensure that they are held in tension. The beam may be segmented, being constituted by a plurality of guide rail sections which are laid down ahead of the drive frame as the conveyor is moved to follow the face, and are removed for re-use after the said part has moved past them. The guide rail sections may be detachably connected to shoes which are bolted to the floor and are also removed after removal of the guide rail sections. Alternatively, as is preferred, a guide rail section and the associated shoe or shoes may be integral one with the other and hence removable in one piece. It is preferred for the bolts to be held in place within the drillings in the floor by means of a synthetic resin. In one embodiment, the bolts are in the form of stud-bolts so that the shoes can be removed from the stud-bolts after the nuts holding the shoes down have been removed. A disadvantage of this embodiment is that the shoes (which may be very heavy if integral with the guide rail sections) need to be lifted away from the floor at an angle equal to that at which the bolts enter the floor in order to disconnect them from the bolts. This difficulty can be overcome by using a bolt which terminates at its head end at about floor level and has an internally threaded sleeve or head into which a shorter, removable bolt is screwed to retain the shoe. The conveyor drive frame may be connected to a sliding beam which slides on the floor or more preferably on the guide and anchor beam and is connected to the part which is guided for movement along the guide and anchor beam. Movement of the sliding beam may be brought about by operation of a shifting cylinder, one end of which is connected directly or indirectly to the sliding beam while the other end is connected to a trolley which can be anchored to the guide and anchor beam.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.

FIG. 1 is a schematic side elevation of a face conveyor showing a first embodiment of anchorage according to the invention,

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the conveyor and anchorage shown in FIG. 1,

FIG. 3 is a view, taken from the same direction as FIG. 1, but to a larger scale. showing one of the shoes and the associated guide rail,

FIG. 4 is a view taken in the direction of arrow IV in FIG. 3,

FIG. 5 is a plan view similar to FIG. 2, but showing a second and more preferred embodiment of anchorage,

FIG. 6 is a perspective view taken in the direction of arrow VI in FIG. 5, showing the anchorage with the face conveyor disconnected,

FIG. 7 is a schematic side elevation of a third embodiment, and

FIG. 8 is a schematic plan view of a fourth embodiment.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS.

Referring to FIG. 1, a face conveyor C extends along the coal face F and guides and supports a coal plough not shown in the drawing. A drive frame 1 supports the drive systems for the conveyor and plough. The drive frame needs to be capable of being anchored in a roadway R while the plough is operating and of being moved along the roadway in order to keep pace with the conveyor C as it follows the face F.

In accordance with the present invention, the drive frame is alternately anchored to and guided for movement'along a guide and anchor beam including a segmented guide rail 5 which is held in place by shoes 6. The shoes are secured to the floor of the roadway by bolts 7 which extend into the floor of the roadway and pass under the rib side thereof at an angle of between 30 and 45 to the horizontal.

The anchorage will now be described in greater detail, with reference to FIGS. 2 to 4, from the first of which figures it will be seen that the drive frame is connected to the anchorage assembly by components which include an articulated linkage 2 connected to one arm of each of two bell crank levers 31. The other arm of each of the levers 31 is connected to a respective one of two hydraulic rams 32 which, like the levers 31, is pivoted to a sliding beam 3 resting on the floor of the roadway. Operation of the rams so as to retract the pistons pivots the bell crank levers to tension the face conveyor.

The rail 5 is assembled from a plurality of sections 52 and each of the shoes 6 supports and locates the meeting ends of two adjacent sections. Each of the sections 52 defines a groove 51. Two guide ways 53 give the mouth of the groove a reduced height so that the head of each of two T-rails 4 is retained in the groove and is guided for movement therealong. Each of two T-rails 4 is equipped with sliders 41 which have faces complementary to those of the guide ways. Each of the T-rails 4 is articulated to a respective end of the beam 3 and can be anchored in place by being bolted to the rail 5 using the holes 53 in the rail sections 52 for this purpose. The cylinder 8 of a hydraulic ram is pivoted to the right-hand-end T-rail (as viewed in FIG. 2), while its piston rod is connected to a sliding trolley 9 which, like the T-rails, has a part which is retained in the groove 51 and can slide therealong or be bolted in place.

Referring now to FIGS. 3 and 4, the shoes 6 each have a base plate 61 resting on the ground through the intermediary of feet 62. At the forward end of the shoe, the base plate supports a block 63 which has a bore directed downwards at between 30 and 45 to the hori- Zontal. At each side of the block is an upstanding plate 64 which is cut-away to allow the T-rail to pass from the groove of one rail section 52 to the next, and which has a hole 65 to enable a pin to pass through and connect the plate to the end of a respective rail section which has downwardly projecting end plates 54 for this purpose.

A bolt 7 passes through the bore in the block 63 of each shoe into the floor wherein it is held rigidly in place by resin bonding. The bolt may be a conventional stud bolt, but preferably is made in several parts so that no obstruction remains above floor level after release. Thus, the bolt may have a short end part 71 which screws into an internally threaded head or removable sleeve, 72, on a shank 73 which is irremovable once it is bonded in place in the floor.

During operation, holes are drilled into the floor at regular intervals and the shoes 6 bolted to the floor of the advance heading or stable area using bolts resinbonded in place. Rail sections 51 are then secured to the shoes using pins 65. As the face advances, the drive frame assembly is alternately anchored to the rail and moved forward. Movement is effected by operating the shifting ram 8 while the T-rails 4 are free to slide and sliding trolley 9 is secured rigidly to the guide rail. The T-rails are then anchored and the trolley 9 released and advanced in a similar fashion. Sections of the rail 5 may then be removed from the guide and anchor beam after the drive frame has passed and carried forward and assembled in vacant shoes at the inbye side of the face. Similarly, after the rail sections have been removed from the outbye side of the face, the shoes may be unbolted from the floor and transferred to the inbye side for re-use. The bolt, or that part of the bolt which is resin bonded in place in the floor, is abandoned. In this way, it is possible to present a continuous beam on the inbye side of the face using but a limited number of rail sections and shoes.

In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, in which where possible the same reference numerals as are used in FIGS. 1 and 2 are used to identify the same parts, a more compact construction is achieved by arranging for the sliding beam 3 to be supported and slidable upon the rail 5, on which the beam 3 is retained by guide ways 53 which extend along the sides of the rail and co-operate with guides 41 on the sides of the beam. The tensioning cylinders 32 accommodated in a housing 33 act directly on the linkage 2, thereby making possible the omission of the bell crank levers.

The housing 32 may be supported on a narrow beam 34 extending parallel to the rod 5. The shifting cylinder 8 is also located above the guide rail and the sliding trolley 9 slides upon the guide rail and is secured to it when the drive frame is to be advanced. Because the sections 52 of the rail 5 support the sliding beam and the sliding trolley, these sections need to be of more robust construction than in the embodiment of FIGS. 1 to 4 and they are integral with the shoes which receive the bolts 7. In a particular embodiment, the sections have a length of about 6 feet. The operation of the embodiment shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 is the same as that described above in connection with the embodiment of FIGS. 1 and 2, except that the rail and shoe sections must be transported from the outbye side to the inbye side in one piece.

An application of the invention in a case where an advance heading is carried is illustrated in FIG. 7, the

system being designed to minimise the width of the roadway occupied by the stage loader and anchorage combined. Accordingly, the drive frame 1 has an aperture through which the segmented guide rail 5 passes, the guide rail being secured in place by bolts 7. The rail 5 is of the same type as that shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 and the procedure for laying-down, taking-up, and transporting the combined rail and shoe sections is exactly the same as previously described. The ways 53 with which the guide rail 5 is provided serve to trap the drive frame to the rail. A conventional stage loader assembly 5 extends parallel to the rail 5 and receives mineral from the face conveyor C in the usual way. A T-rail or tube guide is provided along the side of the stage loader S in known manner to ensure a slidable connection between the latter and the drive frame.

FIG. 8 shows how the invention may be utilised in a case in which no advance heading is carried. In this embodiment, a long line pan L in the form of a rigid beam, perhaps over 20 feet in length, forms the inbye end of the stage loader S, and is articulated to the drive frame at 2, in a non-sliding manner. A tube or T-sectioned guide 5 is attached permanently to the side of the line pan L and is held in place by shoes 6, bolted to the floor as described above.

In operation, holes are bored into the floor immediately behind the face conveyor drive frame 1 and as the face conveyor C and stage loader are advanced, in the direction of arrow A, the shoe 6 at the outbye end is removed from its bolt when it is no longer required to support the rail or tube 5, transported to the inbye end and bolted to the floor. As illustrated, the rod or tube 5 will be guided by at least two shoes at all times. The anchorage force for the face conveyor drive frame is provided by the line pan L in cantilever.

The part which cooperates with and slides along the rail in each embodiment is arranged to negotiate errors in alignment between two adjacent rail sections of a suitable angle, for example, up to 5, so that the system provided by the invention is particularly suitable in a roadway which negotiates rolls and undulations.

The invention also has the advantages that it may be used when poor roof conditions prevail in the roadway particularly as, by virtue of its small plan area, the anchorage allows additional roadway supports 10 (FIG. 1) to be set when necessary. The invention can be used in roadways having either a square section or an arch section, and its compact design allows the conveyor/- plough drive frame to be positioned in the roadway itself, thereby reducing and possibly eliminating the need for a plough stable hole.

We claim:

1. In combination: a guide beam comprising a plurality of segments, at least one shoe associated with each segment, at least one bolt passing through the shoe into the floor of a mine working, an anchorage for a mine conveyor, said anchorage including two independently movable parts guided for movement longitudinally of the beam, means for fixedly securing one part to said beam, extensible means interconnecting said two parts and operable to displace an unsecured part along said beam relative to said secured part, and means on one of said parts for tensioning said conveyor.

2. The combination claimed in claim 1, wherein the shoes and sections are integral one with the other.

3. The combination claimed in claim 1, wherein the said parts are supported on the beam for movement therealong.

4. A method of guiding progressively moving mining machinery, comprising:

a. drilling holes into the floor of a mine working,

b. securing bolts in the holes and fastening guide beam sections in place by means of the bolts to form an elongate guide beam,

c. releasing the sections from the bolts at positions rearwardly of the machinery after passage of the machinery beyond such rearwardly positioned sections,

(1. transporting the released sections to positions ahead of the machinery and assembling said sections as aforesaid to extend said guide beam ahead of said machinery.

5. A method of guiding progressively moving mining equipment, comprising:

a. drilling holes in the floor of a mine working,

b. securing bolts in the holes and fastening shoes in place on the bolts, to form a line of shoes, the shoes serving to guide a member carried by the equipment,

c. releasing shoes from the bolts at positions rearwardly of the direction of advance,

d. transporting the released shoes to positions ahead of the line of shoes considered in the direction of advance, and assembling the shoes as aforesaid to extend the line of shoes in the direction of advance.

6. An underground mining installation comprising: a drive frame for a mine face conveyor, a guide and anchor beam extending transversely of the conveyor, said beam having a forward end facing in the direction in which the conveyor is advanced periodically during working and a rearward end, the beam having a length smaller than the distance to be transversed by the conveyor during working, a first structure supported on the guide and anchor beam for movement there along, means including first piston and cylinder means interconnecting the drive frame and first structure for tensioning the conveyor, a second structure located to one side of the first structure and being likewise supported on the guide and anchor beam for movement there along, and second piston and cylinder means interconnecting the first and second structures, said guide and anchor beam being constituted by a plurality of segments which are arranged end to end and are bolted to the mine floor, said segments and said first and second structures being provided with means whereby either said first structure or second structure may be anchored to said guide and anchor beam against movement longitudinally of the beam thereby to permit the unanchored one of said structures to be displaced relative to the other by operation of said second piston and cylinder means, and thereby to permit said first structure to be anchored to said guide and anchor beam during operation of the conveyor, the segments constituting said guide and anchor beam being releasable from their bolts and transportable from the rear end of said guide and anchor beam to the forward end thereof to extend the same in the direction of advance of the conveyor.

7. Apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the segments of the beam are each constituted by a one piece section.

8. Apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the lateral sides of the segments making up the guide and anchor beam have guide ways trapping the two structures to the beam.

9. Apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the first piston and cylinder means are accommodated in a housing projecting from the structure away from the drive frame, the housing being supported on a narrow beam extending parallel to the guide and anchor beam.

10. An underground mining installation comprising: a drive frame for a mine face conveyor, a guide and anchor beam extending tranversely of the conveyor, said beam having a forward end facing in the direction in which the conveyor is advanced periodically during working and a rearward end, the beam having a length smaller than the distance to be traversed by the conveyor during working, a first structure supported on the floor and having a part engaging with the beam for movement there along, means including first piston and cylinder means interconnecting the drive frame and first structure for tensioning the conveyor, a second structure located to one side of the first structure and likewise having a part engaging with the beam for movement there along said second piston and cylinder means interconnecting the first and second structure, said guide and anchor beam being constituted by a plurality of segments which are arranged end to end and are bolted to the mine floor, said segments and said parts of said first and second structures being provided with means whereby either of said parts and hence the structure in question may be anchored in position to said guide and anchor beam thereby to permit the unanchoredone of said structures to be displaced relative to the other by operation of said second piston and cylinder means, and thereby to permit the said part of the first structure to be anchored to said beam during operation of the conveyor, the segments constituting said guide and anchor beam being releasable from their bolts and transportable from the rear end of said guide and anchor beam to the forward end thereof to extend the same in the direction of advance of the conveyor.

11. Apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the segments are constituted by sections supported upon shoes, the shoes being releasably bolted to the floor.

12. Apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the first structure is in the form of an elongate beam and the said part thereof is a T-rail carried by said elongate beam; the second structure is a sliding trolley and the said part thereof is a T-rail, the T-rails having heads which fit within a channel defined by the guide and anchor beam, the second piston and cylinder means interconnecting the sliding trolley and the T-rail of the elongate beam.

13. Apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the heads of the T-rails are apertured to receive bolts anchoring the T-rails to the guide and anchor beam.

14. In a mining installation in which no advance heading is carried, the combination of a drive frame for a face conveyor, a line pan articulated to said drive frame and extending transversely thereof, an elongate guide secured to a side of said line pan; a plurality of shoes bolted to the mine floor and co-operating slidingly with said elongate guide, said shoes securing said line pan to apply a force anchoring said drive frame in position ane being releasable from their bolts and transportable from one end to the other of said elongate guide to permit the advance of the overall assembly.

15. In a mining installation comprising a conveyor which is moved at intervals to keep pace with a coal face, the conveyor having a drive frame interconnected by means including first piston and cylinder means to a first structure, a method of operation comprising:

a. drilling holes in the mine floor of ahead of the first structure,

b. securing bolts in'said holes and fastening guide beam sections in place by means of said bolts to form an elongate guide beam for said first structure, and a second structure interconnected with said first structure by second piston and cylinder means,

c. securing said first structure to said guide beam during the working of the conveyor to anchor the conveyor,

(1. operating said second piston and cylinder means to displace said second structure while the latter is secured to said guide beam,

e. securing said second structure in place on the guide beam and releasing said first structure when the conveyor is to be advanced,

f. re-operating said second piston and cylinder means to displace said first structure relative to said second structure to advance said first structure, drive frame and conveyor,

g. releasing a guide beam section from its bolts at a position rearwardly of said first structure and second structure and securing it to bolts already in position so as to extend the guide beam in the direction of advance. 

1. In combination: a guide beam comprising a plurality of segments, at least one shoe associated with each segment, at least one bolt passing through the shoe into the floor of a mine working, an anchorage for a mine conveyor, said anchorage including two independently movable parts guided for movement longitudinally of the beam, means for fixedly securing one part to said beam, extensible means interconnecting said two parts and operable to displace an unsecured part along said beam relative to said secured part, and means on one of said parts for tensioning said conveyor.
 2. The combination claimed in claim 1, wherein the shoes and sections are integral one with the other.
 3. The combination claimed in claim 1, wherein the said parts are supported on the beam for movement therealong.
 4. A method of guiding progressively moving mining machinery, comprising: a. drilling holes into the floor of a mine working, b. securing bolts in the holes and fastening guide beam sections in place by means of the bolts to form an elongate guide beam, c. releasing the sections from the bolts at positions rearwardly of the machinery after passage of the machinery beyond such rearwardly positioned sections, d. transporting the released sections to positions ahead of the machinery and assembling said sections as aforesaid to extend said guide beam ahead of said machinery.
 5. A method of guiding progressively moving mining equipment, comprising: a. drilling holes in the floor of a mine working, b. securing bolts in the holes and fastening shoes in place on the bolts, to form a line of shoes, the shoes serving to guide a member carried by the equipment, c. releasing shoes from the bolts at positions rearwardly of the direction of advance, d. transporting the released shoes to positions ahead of the line of shoes considered in the direction of advance, and assembling the shoes as aforesaid to extend the line of shoes in the direction of advance.
 6. An underground mining installation comprising: a drive frame for a mine face conveyor, a guide and anchor beam extending transversely of the conveyor, said beam having a forward end facing in the direction in which the conveyor is advanced periodically during workIng and a rearward end, the beam having a length smaller than the distance to be transversed by the conveyor during working, a first structure supported on the guide and anchor beam for movement there along, means including first piston and cylinder means interconnecting the drive frame and first structure for tensioning the conveyor, a second structure located to one side of the first structure and being likewise supported on the guide and anchor beam for movement there along, and second piston and cylinder means interconnecting the first and second structures, said guide and anchor beam being constituted by a plurality of segments which are arranged end to end and are bolted to the mine floor, said segments and said first and second structures being provided with means whereby either said first structure or second structure may be anchored to said guide and anchor beam against movement longitudinally of the beam thereby to permit the unanchored one of said structures to be displaced relative to the other by operation of said second piston and cylinder means, and thereby to permit said first structure to be anchored to said guide and anchor beam during operation of the conveyor, the segments constituting said guide and anchor beam being releasable from their bolts and transportable from the rear end of said guide and anchor beam to the forward end thereof to extend the same in the direction of advance of the conveyor.
 7. Apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the segments of the beam are each constituted by a one piece section.
 8. Apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the lateral sides of the segments making up the guide and anchor beam have guide ways trapping the two structures to the beam.
 9. Apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the first piston and cylinder means are accommodated in a housing projecting from the structure away from the drive frame, the housing being supported on a narrow beam extending parallel to the guide and anchor beam.
 10. An underground mining installation comprising: a drive frame for a mine face conveyor, a guide and anchor beam extending tranversely of the conveyor, said beam having a forward end facing in the direction in which the conveyor is advanced periodically during working and a rearward end, the beam having a length smaller than the distance to be traversed by the conveyor during working, a first structure supported on the floor and having a part engaging with the beam for movement there along, means including first piston and cylinder means interconnecting the drive frame and first structure for tensioning the conveyor, a second structure located to one side of the first structure and likewise having a part engaging with the beam for movement there along said second piston and cylinder means interconnecting the first and second structure, said guide and anchor beam being constituted by a plurality of segments which are arranged end to end and are bolted to the mine floor, said segments and said parts of said first and second structures being provided with means whereby either of said parts and hence the structure in question may be anchored in position to said guide and anchor beam thereby to permit the unanchored one of said structures to be displaced relative to the other by operation of said second piston and cylinder means, and thereby to permit the said part of the first structure to be anchored to said beam during operation of the conveyor, the segments constituting said guide and anchor beam being releasable from their bolts and transportable from the rear end of said guide and anchor beam to the forward end thereof to extend the same in the direction of advance of the conveyor.
 11. Apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the segments are constituted by sections supported upon shoes, the shoes being releasably bolted to the floor.
 12. Apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the first structure is in the form of an elongate beam and the said part thereof is a T-rail carried by said elongate beam; the second structure is a sliding trolley and the said part thereof is a T-rail, the T-rails having heads which fit within a channel defined by the guide and anchor beam, the second piston and cylinder means interconnecting the sliding trolley and the T-rail of the elongate beam.
 13. Apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the heads of the T-rails are apertured to receive bolts anchoring the T-rails to the guide and anchor beam.
 14. In a mining installation in which no advance heading is carried, the combination of a drive frame for a face conveyor, a line pan articulated to said drive frame and extending transversely thereof, an elongate guide secured to a side of said line pan; a plurality of shoes bolted to the mine floor and co-operating slidingly with said elongate guide, said shoes securing said line pan to apply a force anchoring said drive frame in position ane being releasable from their bolts and transportable from one end to the other of said elongate guide to permit the advance of the overall assembly.
 15. In a mining installation comprising a conveyor which is moved at intervals to keep pace with a coal face, the conveyor having a drive frame interconnected by means including first piston and cylinder means to a first structure, a method of operation comprising: a. drilling holes in the mine floor of ahead of the first structure, b. securing bolts in said holes and fastening guide beam sections in place by means of said bolts to form an elongate guide beam for said first structure, and a second structure interconnected with said first structure by second piston and cylinder means, c. securing said first structure to said guide beam during the working of the conveyor to anchor the conveyor, d. operating said second piston and cylinder means to displace said second structure while the latter is secured to said guide beam, e. securing said second structure in place on the guide beam and releasing said first structure when the conveyor is to be advanced, f. re-operating said second piston and cylinder means to displace said first structure relative to said second structure to advance said first structure, drive frame and conveyor, g. releasing a guide beam section from its bolts at a position rearwardly of said first structure and second structure and securing it to bolts already in position so as to extend the guide beam in the direction of advance. 